Thermal Pools - Rotorua, New Zealand

Thermal Pools - Rotorua, New Zealand

A few months ago we were in New Zealand for a short holiday. We spent most of our time in Auckland but did drive up to Rotorua to see the thermal pools, the main tourist attraction of the area. It was a 3 hour drive from Auckland and gave us an opportunity to see some of the stunning countryside which NewZealand is famous for.

More photographs inside.

Thermal Pools - Rotorua, New Zealand

A number of geysers, mud pools and hot springs can be found within a few kilometers of town. We visited the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland and completed a one and a half hour walk which led us through all the thermal pools in the park. From some of the higher vantage points we were able to see the varying colours of some of the pools.

Lady Knox Geyser - Rotorua, New Zealand

The Lady Knox Geyser is the best known of the geysers in the area. Everyday at around 10.15AM the Lady Knox Geyser erupts with the assistance of a local guide. The geyser consists of two water chambers. The temperature of the upper water chamber is cooler than that of the lower chamber. This is due to the fact that the lower water chamber is heated by the volcanic activity while the upper chamber cools down due to the larger opening to the outside.

 

Lady Knox Geyser - Rotorua, New Zealand

The eruption is caused when a piece of soap is thrown into the upper chamber and it mixes with the hotter water of the lower chamber (because of the lowered surface tension). The eruption produces a jet of water that can reach 20 meters in height and can last for an hour if the weather conditions are favourable.

Thermal Pools - Rotorua, New Zealand

The combination of the mineral precipitation, volcanic activity and micro-organisms create the varying colours that can be seen in the pools around the thermal park. The Champagne Pool is especially colourful.

All the photographs on this post were taken with the Canon 7D and the 24-105mm camera. I didn't use a tripod.